Today I give my thoughts on The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Eccles Theater
Tag: Music
Winners 2/19/2017
Because of Valentines Day last week I didn’t do a winners post, so that means I have all the more things to talk about this week. This is a new series I have started where each week I pick things I think are worthy of praise- winners. There is enough negativity around so I thought why not be positive for once.
This week’s winners are:
My Dad-
Today is my Dad’s birthday! Happy Birthday Dad! He is a great father who loves the outdoors and spending time with his friends and family. He is a great friend and an enthusiastic soul. I am very lucky to have him as a father.
Lego Batman-
For being hilarious and having real heart. Maybe not quite as good as the original Lego Movie but still pretty darn entertaining.
My Amazing Nieces-
My nieces Olive and Sparrow came for a visit and my nieces Lucy and Nelle sent me a care package for Valentine’s Day!
Wreath-
I got a new Spring wreath for my front door and I like it very much! It’s my favorite color purple. To order click here.
Adele-
Might be unpopular opinion but I don’t really care for Beyonce so I was thrilled to see Adele win Album, Record and Song of the Year. I could care less about the Grammys and certainly didn’t watch them. Most current music I don’t care for but Adele keeps putting out albums I love. Hers was the only non-cinematic album I liked last year. So awesome to see it get recognized. Plus, she looked beautiful in her green dress.
So that is my winners for this week. What do you think is a winner lately in your life or the world at large?
Friday 5: Songs that Remind Me of Books
This week I have a special episode of the music series I participate in called the Friday 5. The topic was supposed to be song parodies but I’m not really a fan so my friend and I came up with our own topic to talk about. Instead we picked 5 songs that remind us of books. I tried to stay away from soundtracks of movies based on the books because that would be too easy. It was songs that I feel capture the essence of the book. It was a challenge but also a lot of fun.
The songs and books I chose are:
Ashokan’s Farewell to match with Little Women- I particularly think in the Beth scene this song would be perfect. It’s a song I would like played at my funeral and even though it is just classical music it makes me cry every time. Little Women is the first substatial novel I ever remember reading so it will always have a special place in my heart.
I’ll Follow You Into the Dark to match with The Book Thief- this beautiful song by Death Cab for Cutie captures the surreal feeling of the book and weird combination of despair and hope. The Book Thief is my favorite modern novel and I love the song also.
Kiss Me to go with the Undomestic Goddess- Sophie Kinsella books started out as a guilty pleasure and then I gave up the guilt and realized I just genuinely love them. This song by Six Pence None the Richer is kind of the same way. It’s a one hit wonder of sorts but I genuinely love it. Plus, it captures the light romance of the book and Kinsella’s writing. The Undomestic Goddess has its silliness but I really like what Kinsella has to say about work and balancing the modern with homemaking.
Swing Lo Sweet Chariot to go with To Kill a Mockingbird- Sung by Suzy Bogguss there is something about this song which fits To Kill a Mockingbird. It is a folk song that feels real with a mournful quality to it. I can picture it being sung as Atticus leaves the courtroom and all in the balcony stand in his honor.
Seven Years to go with North and South- Technically this song is about a little girl so perhaps it is an odd choice but there is something about the lyrics that reminds me of Margaret and John in this novel. The way their worlds open up to each other and they go from hating each other to understanding.
So there you have it! Those are my 5 songs that remind me of books. What about you? What songs remind you of your favorite books? Put in the comment section below. Thanks!
Friday 5: Protest Songs
This week for Friday 5 the topic is best protest songs. This was a challenging topic but I think I came up with 5 eclectic choices that cover different kinds of protests. This was obviously a topic to recognize this horrible election which is almost over. Thank goodness!
Here are the 5 songs I selected:
Paths to Victory- Cat Power singing Bob Dylan song from union film North Country but originally written for civil rights movement
Have You Forgotten- Darryl Worley singing about the war in Afghanistan
Glory- John Legend and Common from the film Selma about the Selma protests and Black Lives Matter
Hawaii 78- IZ song about the forced Hawaii statehood
Fortunate Son- Creedence Clearwater Revival about the Vietnam War.
What do you think of my selections and what are some of your favorite protests songs?
Friday 5: Spooky Instrumentals
This week for Friday 5 we could do anything Halloween based. I decided to focus on spooky instrumentals. I think you will enjoy these for your Halloween party.
Are you guys doing anything fun for Halloween weekend? I plan on just spending time with family and friends. I have a very special Halloween costume which you will get to see on Monday on my channel.
Friday 5: Songs from the 80s
This week for the Friday 5 we were asked to pick a decade and give 5 of our favorite songs from that decade. I thought about doing a more obscure decade because I had previously done the 50’s which was ton of fun but nothing was really speaking to me so 80s it is. I have actually done the 80s once before but as it is a favorite decade of mine I certainly have 10+ songs that I love from that decade.
So here are the 5 I came up with. I think you will agree with me these are 5 iconic songs from the 80s:
Here’s a review of the 5 songs I picked:
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World- Tears for Fears: This song has such a great hook and draws you into the song. It’s very catchy. I feel like this song isn’t talked about in the great 80’s songs and I’m not sure why.
- I Want You to Want Me- Cheap Trick: I guess this song was technically released in 1978. Oops! Still it feels like an 80s song. It’s the kind of song that is great when driving with friends.
- Rio- Duran Duran: I got introduced to Duran Duran fairly recently and I love their songs! They have the feel of the era but creative lyrics and some unusual songs. This is one of their more mainstream songs but it is catchy and fun to listen to
- Just What I Needed: The Cars: Nothing seems more like the 80s than The Cars. They are so great at writing catchy hooks that you can’t help but hum along to.
- Once in a Lifetime- Talking Heads: A bit of an experimental group but they have some mainstream songs as well. It was hard to get a good 25 second clip from one of their songs because they tend to ramble.
Friday 5: 5 Deep Cut Songs
This week for the musical series I do on my youtube channel I had a lot of fun. It may be my favorite week yet. The theme was ‘what are 5 favorite deep cut or hidden gem songs by your favorite artists?’. I think I enjoyed this week so much because it helped reintroduce me to songs I had forgotten about. The idea is whenever an album is a bit hit there are always those songs that don’t get a single release and aren’t well known but are still great songs. Here are the 5 songs that I picked and why:
- Billy Joel- Seen the Lights Out on Broadway. This song is from his Turnstiles album which is probably best known for New York State of Mind but I love this unique power ballad. Billy Joel wrote the song about New York City as it was falling apart at that time and close to default and disaster.
- Richard Marx- Turn Off the Night- This song is from his Beautiful Goodbye album which isn’t that popular but the reason I picked it is because he sang it at a concert I attended just after he wrote it. He described the emotions he had just gone through and asked us if we would like to hear the song and we cheered. It felt like a real authentic moment. After on twitter I told him how meaningful it was and he said he was blown away by it. To me that is a true deep cut. Sure his other songs may be more famous but this is one I got to see why it meant so much.
- Beatles- Wait. This song is from the Rubber Soul album which is so great a song as good as Wait gets forgotten. I’m Looking Through You or Nowhere Man are probably the most popular off of the album but listen to the entire thing. It’s fantastic.
- Beach Boys- I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times. Just like Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds, is one of the greatest albums ever released. The harmonies are perfect and every song is carefully written and beautiful. Some of the biggest hits are Wouldn’t it Be Nice or God Only Knows, but I also love I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times because I think we all feel that from time to time.
- Paul Simon- Silent Eyes. This song is from Still Crazy After All These Years. Quiet songs are always more likely to be forgotten than the more poppy songs, but Silent Eyes is a beautiful song. It’s a song about faith, hope and grief.
What are some deep cuts of popular artists that you like? What do you think of my 5 picks? I would love to hear.
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Friday 5: Songs from 1981
Hey guys! I hope you are doing well. It is time for another Friday 5! This week we are talking about Songs from the Year we Are Born, which for me is 1981. It was a year that didn’t have ton of songs I liked when I started to review it. I think it’s probably because it was a transitional year between Disco and 1980s rock. It was the start of MTV that year so that probably made a difference as well.
It’s weird because one of my songs, 9 to 5, actually had two different songs with that title released during 1980-1981ish (it was a little fuzzy. I read different dates on different places). You of course had the Dolly Parton classic which I love but then another song by Sheena Easton, which isn’t too bad either. Isn’t that strange to have 2 songs with the exact same random name released the same year?
Overall, it’s not the strongest year but the 5 songs I picked are fun. They are cheesy songs but it’s just part of that time period.
My youtube friend the Lawn Gnome was also born in 1981 so check out his list as well. He has the other 9 to 5 on his list.
If you haven’t subscribed to my youtube channel please do and subscribe to the Lawn Gnome as well. We both produce a lot of fun content you will really enjoy. (50 more followers and I will be at the magic 1000 subscribers!)
What are your favorite songs from the year you were born? Put in the comments section.
Friday 5: My Dad’s Favorite Songs
This week for Friday 5 we had a special topic. It was all about Dads and Father’s Day. I tried to find songs about fathers like I had done for Mother’s Day but most of the songs were really depressing (like Papa was a Rolling Stone). This certainly didn’t capture my Dad at all. So I decided to do something different and I asked my Dad what his 5 favorite songs were and he gave me 6 great choices.
I think the songs show a lot about his personality and how much of a people person he is. They are also diverse and songs filled with empathy. I was a little surprised he went with a Fleetwood Mac song as I had no idea he was a fan of them. That’s what’s cool about the Friday 5 is I’m constantly learning new things about music. It’s neat because I think I know just about everything about my Dad or other relatives and then it turns out there is always more to learn.
So these are my Dad’s 6 favorite songs and they are all fantastic. I particularly love Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Credence Clear water Revival. With the horrible events that happened in Orlando I found myself listening to that song and finding some comfort in it.
Anyway, let me know what you think of these 6 songs and to all you Dads out there have a great weekend!
Friday 5: Songs with Names in the Title
I had a lot of fun with Friday 5 this week. The topic was ‘Songs with Names in the Title’ and it turned out very eclectic. I would wager to say these 5 songs have never been combined together before this!
- Sherry- Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. Classic song from the 60s. This is the first song with a name I thought of.
- Jolene- Dolly Parton. One of Dolly’s best songs about hoping a woman won’t take her man just because she can.
- Jeremy- Pearl Jam. This song is a little outside of my normal wheelhouse but it is really moving when you listen to the lyrics. It is based on a story Eddie Vedder heard about a high school student named Jeremy who shot himself in front of his English class. Very tragic of course but it describes the feelings of those bullied and when they get to that awful place in a very haunting way.
- Maria- Sound of Music. Talk about a change in 2 songs! There are actually a bunch of songs with Maria in the name. I guess with Virgin Mary making it such a multicultural name explains that. This is of course from Sound of Music with the nuns singing about their frustrations with the headstrong Maria.
- Barbara Ann- Beach Boys. Written in 1965, Barbara Ann is one of the most bopping tunes the boys ever wrote. It brings a smile to my face.
So a lot of different emotions and 5 great songs.
What are some of your favorite songs with names in the title? If you like my video please give it a thumbs up and subscribe. Also, if you have a blog or channel participate in the Friday 5. We have some great topics coming up you won’t want to miss out on.
Rachel's Musings 